This invention relates to underpants, especially panties, and more particularly to a disposable panty provided with a sanitary napkin in the crotch area thereof.
Disposable panties provided with sanitary napkins are well known in the art, where for hygienic reasons it is desired to throw such panties away after having been used only once. These prior art panties have a conventional construction including an expensive material which is seamed at its sides to provide a waist opening and two leg openings. Elastic bands are usually sewn around the waist and leg openings so that a single panty size will fit a number of different sized users.
However, in many cases, the material used to form the panty is not really inexpensive, and the method of manufacturing the panty is difficult and expensive, so that because of the costs thereof, many so-called disposable panties are in fact too expensive to be thrown away after only one use, thereby reducing the hygienic value thereof.
It is further noted, that these prior art disposable panties do not fit well and are a discomfort to the user, so that their only value is in the disposable diaper art, where they are not readily usable by teenage and adult woman users.
Furthermore, many of the sanitary napkins provided in these disposable diapers do not effectively absorb the menstrual discharge and retain same, so that the sanitary napkin is of little or no value to the wearer thereof.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,748,772, 3,424,162 and 4,427,408 disclose a disposable panty provided with a sanitary napkin or an absorbent pad sewn into the crotch area. U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,638 also discloses a disposable panty, where the crotch area is formed with a pocket to receive the sanitary napkin. Each of these patents disclose a conventional panty provided with an elasticized waistband and elasticized leg openings, where each panty has at least one side seam for the construction thereof.
It is further noted, that U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003 discloses a disposable diaper having an hour-glass shape with elastic strips secured to the crotch portions of the diaper to provide for securement thereof over the legs of an infant so that the child's discharged fluid does not run down along the child's legs.